Hello! I am thinking about how I should stock my 10 gallon tank (GatorSwamp).

Right now I have 3 swordtails (1 is a fry), 2 Lemon Tetras, and 1 Corydoras. The way my tank is currently stocked is a problem. Lemon Tetras and Corydoras are school fish, and I don't have room for hardly even one species. I want to see if I can give away my Corydoras, Michael, and try to get at least 5 Lemon Tetras (but I prefer 6). Unfortunatly, my female swordtail, Aruaques is not doing well.
Here is a link to a thread I started about Auraques. Please help if you can, http://www.bettafish.com/showthread....344#post495344, it is on the bettafish website because I accidently posted under a betta catagory.

I guess I am just wondering how many Lemon Tetras I can get with 2 swordtails and nothing else in a 10 gallon Tank. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

I would say 2 swordtail and 3 lemon tetra would be pretty close to your limit which wouldn't work out great. You may need to put in more if you have lots of live plants and upgrade your filter. Also you would have to do big water changes everyweek (maybe two smaller ones)

So are you saying with more frequent water changes and more live plants I can stock my tank a little bit higher than "normal"? That is pretty neat! Right now I am useing a power filter that filters up to 15 gallons. Would an air stone be more beneficial than another power filter? At my LFS the tanks are WAY overstocked, and I noticed they all have air stone.

At this point, the Lemon Tetras are top priority (although I would like to keep at least one swordtail). I love lemon tetras alot. Maybe some day I will establish a giant tetra community with Lemons, Neons, Bleeding Hearts, and Ember Tetras. But right now I don't have room for a more tanks, and I don't have access to any fish other than fish from my LFS.

How many "inches" of swordtail do you think I could have with 5 Lemon Tetras (in good condition)? I guess that is my main question. Thanks for all the post so far!

Personally I would rehome the swordtails and cory then put more plants and the additional lemon tetras to reach the limit of 5. Adding more plants works because the plants absorb the ammonia and help keep the nitrites and nitrates in check the more plants the better plus the fish love real plants. Also do not add an airstone with real plants you need as little surface breakage as possiable that way you do not lose the CO2 that the plants also need.